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Seanan's Ten Favorite Movies About Disease.
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10. 28 Days Later. The epidemiology of the Rage virus is sketchy at best, and the speed of spread is way too fast (isn't that always the way in the really virus-centric zombie movies?), but the view of a post-plague England is awesome. Nothing says 'disease will kick your civilization's ass, yo' like watching your protagonist walking alone through some of the most normally crowded tourist spots in England. Also, they bribed people to stay out of the way with beer. I appreciate that.
9. I Am Legend. Yes, the most recent version, with Will Smith. Why? Because I choose to view the blatant stupidity of their virology as being actually an extremely clever means of masking successful biological terrorism. An odd, utterly insane view, I know, but one which makes me happy. Plus it's just fun to watch them evacuating New York City. Or, y'know, failing to evacuate New York City, as the case may be.
8. Outbreak. As a view of hemorrhagic fever goes, well, it's not a very good one, or a very accurate one. But I can forgive them that, because it's a deeply entertaining one (even if I liked the book better). The actors try so very hard to sell you on the idea that any one of them might melt at any moment, and it's their sincerity that sells it, even as the script pretty much leaves them gasping for a better explanation.
7. Venomous. Ebola snakes. Genetically engineered ebola snakes. I'm not kidding. They made this movie. This movie got made. Clearly, on some deep and fundamental level, I control the entire universe.
6. Alien Cargo. Sometimes the Science Fiction Channel manages to surprise me by featuring movies that are actually intelligent, thoughtful, and nowhere near as sensationalist as most of their kind. Alien Cargo is one of those films. It reminded me strongly of Tiptree's story 'The Only Really Neat Thing To Do,' which is very high praise coming from me. The movie is absolutely worth watching, if you can catch it on one of their 'things from space kill you dead' movie marathons.
5. Cabin Fever. Poor Cabin Fever, so maligned, so put-upon. To be fair, it's maligned and put-upon because dude, people melt. Do not watch this movie if you're ever planning to shave your legs in the bathtub again. That said, it's an excellent film, and we can just ignore the part where it's actually about bacteria, okay?
4. Ultraviolet. Okay, so it wasn't the best movie. And the plot was pretty much made of lame once you got past the pyrotechnics and the fight scenes. But the virology was pretty awesome, and the entire design of the epidemic made me happy. Since I'm currently judging movies based on their viruses, this one makes the cut.
3. Resident Evil. Oh, come on. You knew this was coming. If you've ever met me, you knew this was coming. The T-virus is made of pure awesome, and the first real encounter with it is entirely worth rejoicing in. Alice is hot. Matt is awesome. There's a hallway full of lasers. And their virus isn't instantly infectious, which is a really nice change.
2. Resident Evil 2. This is quite possibly my favorite zombie movie of all time. It's also quite possibly my favorite virus movie of all time, and misses the number one slot just by lacking really detailed virology. Viruses! Zombies! Life is so totally awesome. The number of large guns doesn't hurt. I am a simple soul, I like my zombies.
1. The Stand. Yes, it was a TV mini-series, and no, I don't care, because it was effectively a movie, and more, it was basically the only way you were ever going to present this particular work in a viable cinematic format. This movie rocks. Wiping out the world rocks. I am a happy girl.
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Seanan's Ten Favorite Books About Disease.
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10. Outbreak. Yes, the novelization of the movie. It's better than the movie was. More screen time for the minor characters, and more freedom to play with symptoms. It makes me happy.
9. The Speckled Monster. Nothing says 'love' like smallpox. Actually, lots of things say 'love' like smallpox. You probably don't want to talk to any of them. A fascinating look at historical medicine.
8. Demon in the Freezer. One of my favorite horrible facts came from this book -- the fact that we're currently unsure of the whereabouts of enough smallpox to kill every man, woman, and child on the planet fifty times. Science is neat.
7. Ghost Maps. Epidemiology starts here. With cholera. Fascinating from start to finish.
6. The Barbary Plague. This book explains why Kate and I insist on refering to California's native tree-rats as 'plague squirrels.' PS: bubonic plague loves you.
5. The Coming Plague. Did you ever wonder what's going to kill you tomorrow? This book is happy to help with that, and any other questions you might have.
4. Doomsday Book. We need some fiction, even on this list, and this book is a beautiful view of what happens when everybody dies. (Even if the Black Death wasn't bubonic plague, dammit.)
3. The Hot Zone. I think my love affair with horrible real-world diseases probably started with this book. Yes, it's fluff science, but it's fluff science that sent me digging for the real thing. Plus, ebola? Will just mess you up.
2. The Stand. It's my second-favorite book of all time, and my second-favorite book about disease. The flu kills everyone. Film at eleven.
1. Return of the Black Death: The World's Greatest Serial Killer. Kate will forever regret introducing me to this book. Also, the Black Death was not bubonic plague. Just as a memo.
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Seanan's Ten Favorite Diseases.
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10. Rabies. Neurological damage for everybody!
9. Mad Cow. The stealth bomber of the virus world.
8. Smallpox. That shit is scary.
7. Flu. People don't respect the flu the way they should. Someday, flu will fix that.
6. Lassa Fever. My personal candidate for the Black Death.
5. Ebola. Everybody knows it, everybody fears it, but it's just too efficient.
4. Marburg. Ebola's nastier older sister is coming for a visit.
3. Bubonic plague. Good ol' yersinia pestis. Which wasn't the Black Death. Just FYI.
2. Tuberculosis. Ah, consumption. How I fail to miss you.
1. Kellis-Amberlee. I don't care if it's fictional. It's mine, and I love it.
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Happy World Virus Appreciation Day! What's your favorite virus?
October 4 2008, 02:50:35 UTC 8 years ago
And the thing about the missing smallpox makes me want to be immunized now now ohgodrightnow. Just so you know.
October 7 2008, 21:49:31 UTC 8 years ago